Joining the US military is a lifelong goal of millions of Americans. The prestige and honor bestowed upon a soldier for protecting the motherland are second to none. Although the US military selection protocols are uniform for every US citizen who wants to join the military, having a medical marijuana card can potentially disqualify you from serving the country as a US military personnel.
Remember, the US federal law always supersedes the state law, and as per the US federal law, marijuana is still categorized as a Schedule I substance making it illegal to possess or consume. This automatically disqualifies medical marijuana users from joining the US military with a medical marijuana card. The following stipulation applies to every branch of the US military including the US Air Force (USAF), US Army (USA), US Marine Corps (USMC), US Coast Guards (USCG), US Space Force (USSF), and the US Navy (USN).
Also, the US military has a very strict drug screening policy which includes mandatory urine tests before enlisting, random drug tests for active personnel, and an annual drug test. This means that joining the US military with a medical marijuana card isn’t possible unless you cease to use medical cannabis and clear all the mandatory drug tests.
Are there any exceptions or waivers?
The only exception is for previous medical marijuana users who want to join the military long after they have ceased to use medical cannabis. But this kind of exception is pretty rare and applications are evaluated on a person-to-person basis.
Fortunately, waivers have now become common for ailments like flat feet which was an automatic disqualification a few decades ago. Recruiters can use waivers to enlist people in the military for previously diagnosed anxiety, depression, and a number of qualifying conditions, even with a history of medical cannabis usage. However, the process of waiver approval is pretty complex and takes months before the final approval.
What will happen if someone is caught using cannabis in the military?
Being caught using medical or recreational cannabis while being an active military personnel results in immediate administrative and court-martial proceedings. The only way to avoid this fate is to prove that your drug screening resulted in a false positive, failing to do so will lead the involved individual to be dishonorably discharged from the military.
As per Article 112a of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, any military personnel found in possession of cannabis will face forfeiture of pay and up to five years in prison. Personnel caught with medical cannabis with an intent to distribute, grow, import, or export marijuana will face up to 15 years of confinement.
Final Note
Can you join the US military with a medical marijuana card? The answer is no. However, CertaMD can help you evaluate your waiver options if you think joining the US military and serving your country is a dream you can’t give up on just yet.
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